MCC men put four on all-Region basketball team

Four McCook Community College men’s basketball players have received post-season honors.

Freshman Louie Tucker was selected third team all-Region IX and sophomore Martel Evans (Omaha Creighton Prep) was an honorable mention selection. Sophomores Ty Foster (Bronx, N.Y.) and Brandon Kabuya-Mpoyi (Pairs, France) were picked for the Region IX all-tournament team.

Tucker, (Bristol, England), led MCC in scoring and rebounds this season averaging 14.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He shot 38.6 percent from the field, led the team shooting 35.9 percent from the 3-point line and made 73.8 percent of his free throws. He scored a season-high 27 points Dec. 2 against Laramie County Community College on a night he went nine-of 17 from the 3-point line. His best night on the glass came Nov. 18 at home against Northeast Community College when he snagged 14. During the season he reached double-digit scoring in 25 games and topped the 20-point mark seven times.

Evans, (Omaha Creighton Prep), was second on the team in scoring with an average of 13.9 per game and grabbed 4.1 rebounds per game. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 79.8 percent from the foul line. His best scoring game came Dec. 9 at Western Wyoming when he scored 30 points, going nine of 13 from the field and 11 of 16 from the line. He had 10 rebounds at Lamar on Jan. 20. He scored in double-digits 21 times and six times scored more than 20 points. He scored 243 points as a freshman and 446 this season to give him 689 for his career.

To earn post-season tournament honors, Foster (Bronx, N.Y.) scored 18 points and seven assists and seven rebounds in MCC’s opening round game in a win at Northeastern Junior College and added 17 in the second round against Gillette College. For the season, he averaged 12.4 points per game, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Kabuya Mpoyi (Paris, France) scored a career-high 19 points in MCC’s final tournament game against Gillette and added a career-best 10 rebounds. He went nine-for-10 from the field. He scored seven points in the Region IX tournament opener at NJC with five boards. For the season he averaged 4.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Trinidad State (25-7) claimed the Region IX championship for the third straight year, picking up an 81-56 win over Western Nebraska Saturday. The Trojans qualified for the national tournament beginning Sunday in Hutchison, Kansas.

Players picked for the all-Region IX south team included Lateef Patrick, Trinidad State; Jalen Foy, Northeastern JC; and JJ Harris, Western Nebraska. Bill Engel, Western Nebraska, was named the South Coach of the Year.

Those selected to the all-Region IX north team included Sam Mabury of Central Wyoming, Jaden Witter-Watts Gillette College and Darius Robinson, Casper. Shawn Neary of Gillette was named the North Coach of the year.